Complex electrical and electronic devices may have a large number of cables or wires routed between the various components, connectors, and terminals comprising each device. The cables may become damaged by contacting sharp edges or hot surfaces of components within the device if the cables are not tied down or restrained in some manner. In addition, if not bundled, the cables may become tangled and difficult to trace during diagnostic testing or when the cables must be repaired or replaced.
One approach to solving the foregoing problems has been to bundle the cables together with cable ties. A conventional cable tie may comprise a thin, flat band having an aperture positioned at one end and a tapered tab portion positioned at the opposite end. In operation, the tab portion of the band is inserted into the aperture to form a loop around the cables and the tab portion is drawn through the aperture to tighten the band around the cables. A small plastic or metal engaging member positioned in the aperture engages the portion of the band which passes therethrough and prevents it from loosening. Excess band material projecting from the aperture may then be trimmed off.
One drawback associated with the foregoing approach is that trimming the band requires an extra time-consuming operation. Furthermore, the material comprising the band is typically resilient and accordingly the band must be trimmed with a sharp tool. When trimming the band, the user may inadvertently damage the cables with the tool. In addition, the trimmed edge of the band may be sharp and may accordingly harm the user accessing the internal components of the electronic device. Conversely, if the excess portion of the band is not trimmed, it may obstruct visual and physical access to the internal components of the device, or may interfere with normal operation of the components.
Still a further drawback with the foregoing approach is that once installed, the cable tie cannot easily be removed because the engaging member is deliberately positioned to prevent the cable tie from loosening. As a result, the user may be required to cut the cable tie band with a sharp tool to access individual cables, and may inadvertently damage the cables when doing so. Furthermore, the band is not reusable once cut, and must therefore be replaced. Accordingly, the entire operation may become time-consuming, may incur additional material costs in the form of replacement cable ties, and may increase the likelihood that the cables will be damaged whenever the cable ties are removed or installed.